It is easy to get caught up in appearances. When we see someone who is slim and trim we may be quick to admire them. But there is a very big difference between being thin and skinny and being lean and healthy, and it lies in body composition.

The ideal body composition ? the ratio or percentage of lean muscle to fatty tissue in our bodies is low in fat and high in lean muscle tissue. This is what gives the firm, taut, shapely bodies that we covet so highly. When someone is in this physical condition they are considered to be "in good shape".

A body with a lower percentage of fat and a higher percentage of muscle tissue means your body is structurally healthier. Disease risk is lowered because loss of muscle tissue in linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and high blood pressure. The increased health risks of being overweight and obese are also eliminated when a person is in "good shape".

Being skinny fat is a danger zone for those who don't weigh much but have high a body fat percentage. Because of the low lean body mass the bones don't stay strong because it is the muscles pulling on the bones they are attached too that keep them strong. So the skinny fat under muscled person is at a high risk of osteoporosis. Because this ticking time bomb is on the inside and not visible it is unlikely to be of concern. That is until it is too late.

Going on restrictive food diets and dieting makes this problem a whole lot worse. As soon as calories are cut back the metabolism slows (the rate the body burns fuel) and muscle tissue is lost when the survival mode is activated. This is exactly the opposite to what should be happening as losing muscle tissue when it is already below the normal level is disastrous on the body and overall health in general.

Accelerated aging will kick in if this situation isn't quickly rectified and the solution is a dose of good old common sense. A proper exercise program that includes mostly strength training exercise will rebuild lost muscle tissue and speed back up the body's metabolism. Any long slow boring cardio sessions should be totally dumped and replaced with cardio interval training.

The entire exercise program must be supported with 4-6 small whole food meals spread throughout the day. Each of these meals should contain at least 20 grams of protein and be natural as opposed to processed food. If the skinny fat syndrome has been present for some time, essential protein, vitamins and minerals are likely to be deficient and can only be replaced when the food consumed is of high quality.

Re-program your mind to focus on "being healthy" as your goal, not just reaching a certain weight and "becoming LEAN" never just losing bodyweight. To make this happen you will need to focus on "improving nutrition" not "dieting."

It is important that you seek the help of a fitness professional to help you set up your exercise program and monitor your progress back to a healthy body composition. You will be surprised and amazed at how much better you will look and feel once you regain some lost muscle tissue.

There is simply no substitute for strength training in reversing the skinny fat syndrome and it will stoke your metabolism, get you lean, make you biologically younger and will restore your health.